March 12, 2008

Talibans win. Operators shut down networks after 5pm

Mobile phone operators in Afghanistan have begun to switch off their networks during the night following threats from the Taliban, reports the BBC.

"Ten mobile phone masts were attacked in recent weeks, the latest on Tuesday night, the Afghan government says.

Last month the Taleban threatened the companies, alleging that the networks were being used by Afghan and Nato troops to target them.

... Since a threat by the Taleban last month to target the towers unless the phone companies switched off their signals at night, 10 such facilities have been attacked, six of them completely destroyed."